This comic feels like it’s straight out of the late 80s/early 90s. That’s not a bad thing. I’ve been interested in this since it was first announced at last year’s SDCC. I’ve always liked the Thunderstrike and Erik Masterson characters. And I was glad to see that the original creators would be working on this limited series.

I wasn’t disappointed. This series is what people expected, Kevin Masterson taking up the mantle of Thunderstrike. And yet it’s not. When it was announced, and with the cover image, everyone (correctly in a way) assumed that Kevin would take up the mace and become the new Thunderstrike. But DeFalco and Frenz do a good job of throwing in enough twists to keep it interesting and go about it in an unexpected way.

Kevin is a jerk, pure and simple, no way around it. But in one moment his true self comes out and he is shown to have inherited more then of his father then he realized. That one moment turns a self-professed hero hater into a hero shows that for all his anger, he is his father’s son.

This issue could have easily fallen into cliches and stereotypical comics. Son of a hero gets the hero’s weapon and takes up the mantle, which is how this would have been seen at first glance, but luckily it’s not. DeFalco does a decent tale.

The book feels and looks like the original Thunderstrike series from 1993. Obviously the protagonist is different and it is odd seeing Thunderstrike not talking exactly like Thunderstrike should. But it does make sense in how the series is presented.

The corner box being the image from ’93’s Thunderstrike #1 is a nice touch.

I’ve never been a big fan of Ron Frenz’s work. There’s just something about how he draws his figures that I’ve never liked. His work is solid, he’s got a fine grasp of storytelling, but his figures have just never appealed to me. If you’re a fan of his work, then you’ll enjoy it on this issue. If you’re not a fan, then you won’t.

But even for non-fans, it’s not going to detract from the overall work.

Thunderstrike #1 receives
3.5 out of 5

There’s nothing here to attract new readers, but Thunderstrike fans will enjoy this.